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The 10 Best Midrange Scorers In The NBA

By Nicholas Agar-Johnson

Mar 23, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots the ball over Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) during the first half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 23, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots the ball over Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) during the first half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
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April 1, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Evan Turner (11) shoots the basketball against the Golden State Warriors during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Evan Turner takes another mid-range jumper. He is one of the few players fighting to keep the in-between game alive. Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

The NBA continues to emphasize shots from beyond the arc, but the midrange game still drives the scoring output of some of the league’s best players.

The recent trend of NBA offenses seems to be geared to more shots from three-point range and more shots at the rim. This new emphasis has led to a steep decline in the frequency of midrange shots.

In the 2006-07 season, the Minnesota Timberwolves led the league in midrange scoring, with 29.9 percent of their points coming from that range. This year, the league-leading San Antonio Spurs score just 20.6 percent of their points from that range.

Evan Turner declared that “the future is in the midrange” back in June, but he remains an outlier in that regard. Nonetheless, some of the NBA’s most effective scorers are able to capitalize on those shots.

As defenses focus more and more on pushing players away from the three-point line and into the midrange, these players will find more opportunities to punish defenses in between the rim and the arc. Here are the 10 best midrange scorers in the NBA.